"Where does da Ham come from?": Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans hilariously discuss the newly-showed picnics

Following the release of the gameplay trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, a brief section revolved around the Pokemon Picnic mini-feature. In this game mode, players can play with and bathe their pocket monsters as well as make them a tasty treat in the sandwich creation menu.

In this section of the trailer, some of the potential components on the menu are revealed. Of course, the game includes some sandwich staples, lettuce, tomatoes, and even cherry tomatoes. However, one particular ingredient has sparked a bit of panicked discussion among the community. This ingredient is ham.

Reddit users were confused about the origin of the ham and one of them commented, "Where does da Ham come from?". While the concept of consuming Pokemon has been sort of a give-in for the majority of the franchise's life, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet straight up gives the player and their traveling companions the option to eat the flesh of another creature.

According to Reddit users, Lechonk could be the source for the ham in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

In the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet subreddit, user Dertyrarys brings up a screenshot from the recently released gameplay trailer. This shows the sandwich-making mini-game as well as some of the ingredients. This post prompted a response from u/_kaiohate.

Ham being a pork product has captivated many curious players. Could it be from a Pokemon? Could it be from an animal? Animals have appeared in trading card art and anime in the past, so it could be a possibility. However, u/Dreamideate was quick to answer with a theory of their own regarding the meat product.

Lechonk as it appears in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet promotional imagery (Image via The Pokemon Company)

As many trainers may be aware, Lechonk is one of the newest creatures to be added to the franchise and will make its debut in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Given its lovable design and cute name, many trainers in the thread have been noticeably distraught by the theory of the little pig being churned into lunch meat.

However, this is not the first time a meat product has been put into mainline Pokemon titles. Pokemon Sword and Shield featured sausages, which the players could use in curry. Ohmori even stated, "I don't know what it is, it's a Pokemon world sausage.". This could be the same case for the ham.

This rabbit hole gets much darker when you realize that these are food items trainers are meant to feed their Pokemon. If the sandwich ham is truly made from Lechonk, what is stopping players from feeding their newly caught pocket monsters a deli-fresh ham sandwich? What if it is from another type of pig like Tepig or Grumpig?

While we still have no conclusive answer on what these food items could possibly be made out of, there is one thing potential players should keep in mind: Don't think about it. Game Freak has been avoiding the elephant in the room for a long time but it has already been confirmed that people eat Pokemon.

Nevertheless, considering Game Freak has always avoided the topic of pocket monsters being used as livestock, fans may never get an answer regarding the creature of origin for the ham and sausage in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.